Agricultural sweeps are employed as tools in cultivating soil. They typically comprise a stem portion by which they are removably mounted on the lower end of a tine of an agricultural tillage implement, and an earthworking portion attached to the stem which is pulled through the soil to eliminate weeds. The earthworking portion typically has an arrowhead shape and comprises a pair of symmetrical wing elements extending rearwardly from a point. As a result of their use, sweeps are subject to wear and considerable stress, and are particularly prone to bending or breaking at the transition between the stem and the earthworking portion.
This problem has received only cursory consideration in the prior art. For example, Canadian Patent No. 1,189,380 describes an agricultural sweep in which strength is provided at the transition between the stem and the earthworking portion by maintaining the gauge of the metal at the transition and by providing stem side walls which extend continuously through the transition region and form downwardly turned flanges at the upper, trailing edges of the wings.
However, it is desirable that the junction of the stem and the wings be further strengthened in order to further reduce the incidence of bending or breakage at the transition between the stem and earthworking portion of the sweep. Such strengthening would extend the life of individual sweeps, maintain proper sweep angle to thereby reduce energy consumption, and permit the use of wider sweeps to thereby reduce the number of sweeps which must be mounted on the implement.